1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to lift apparatuses and, more particularly, to an personal mini-hoist to aid in construction and maintenance procedures at elevated locations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Construction and maintenance operations at elevated heights have been a source of problems for mankind since the beginning of time. The most common tool used to deal with heights has been the ladder. The ladder is a portable tool, which is easily setup and utilized by the common user. However, the ladder also poses many problems of its own. These problems include difficulty in carrying items while climbing or descending the ladder, user comfort while on the ladder, difficulty in using electrically powered tools while on the ladder and most importantly safety. The safety of conventional ladders is easily compromised by improper setup, leaning too far to one side by the user, or by trying to use both hands to perform a task which leaves the user with no means to secure themselves to the ladder.
The previous art consists of many examples of devices designed to overcome the shortcomings of conventional ladders. Examples of these devices include U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,265, issued in the name of Lebrocquy, U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,942, issued in the name of Tzavaras, U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,698, issued in the name of Grant, U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,789, issued in the name of Treants, U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,248, issued in the name of Payne, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,913, issued in the name of Cromer, Jr., in which all disclose apparatuses primarily intended for tree climbing to aid in the purposes of hunting. While these apparatuses overcome many problems associated with using ladders to climb trees, they do not address the difficulty of trying to carry and use tools to perform maintenance and construction tasks at elevated heights.
Devices primarily intended to aid in construction are defined in U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,398 issued in the name of Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,032, issued in the name of Puccinelli et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,062, issued in the name of Pizzo, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,070 issued in the name of Magill. These devices are associated with large scaffolding and scaffolding accessory items and are as such not intended for portable use by one person. Also these devices are not easily mobilized and are intended for long term construction processes such as bricklaying and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,284, issued in the name of Authement, Sr., addresses the aforementioned problems, by the use of a chair like structure equipped with a winch. However, additional problems associated with a device constructed in accordance with this disclosure include the inability to stand off from the work surface, the inability to readily use electrically powered tools, large work or tool carrying containers, the lack of an integral safety harness, and the requirement to use hand power to raise or lower the device.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,035, issued in the name of Eubanks, discloses an elevatable work station for use by painters, carpenters, or the like when painting or repairing elevated building structures. While such a device is portable and easily set up and used by one person, it also has many of the disadvantages as listed with the Authement, Sr. disclosure listed above. These include the inability to readily use electrically powered tools, large work or tool carrying containers, the lack of an integral safety harness, and the requirement to use hand power to raise or lower the device.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention.
Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus and method which overcomes the problems cited above.